Buakaw and the Infamous Boxing Challenge (For Real)

By Mike LNg

Buakaw as K-1 MAX champion

Buakaw’s allegedly confirmed fight with Manny Pacquaio was pretty thoroughly proven to never ever happen. The event was reported to be authentically confirmed and made the rounds of internet blogs and Muay Thai sites the world over in a wild fire like fashion. However the supposed event has apparently caught more than one person’s attention. Among those paying attention, Manus Boonjumnong, Thailand’s most successful amateur international boxer.

Now here’s the twist of the latest development regarding the Manny Pacquaio challenge, Manus Boonjumnong, has decided to pursue a Muay Thai career. Among his career international boxing highlights Manus, won gold at the 2004 Olympics and silver at the 2008 Games.

Manus called it day on boxing after trying and failing to get on the Thai Olympic boxing Team for a third time.

After trying Muay Thai at a recent exhibition match in his home province of Ratchaburi, Manus said he liked it. Enough so, that Manus is now moving forward with pursuing a career as a professional Muay Thai fighter.

Manus Boonjumnong does bag work

The Bangkok Post reports that Manus had a pretty active night life but now has paused that life style in pursuit of a career as a Thaiboxer.

Manus openly mocked the alleged fight booked between Buakaw Banchamek (Por Pramuk) of K-1 MAX fame and Manny Pacquaio. Pacquaio of course being widely acknowledged as among the pound for pound elite of his sport.

The Bangkok Post quotes Manus as saying “Who will pay about 90 million baht to bring Pacquiao to fight here?”

He said it would be risky for Buakaw to face a fighter who is good at punching because he could be fragile to the weapon.

“If there is anyone who is interested in promoting a fight between Buakaw and me, I am ready to give him a few boxing lessons,” he said.

At 32 years old Manus and Buakaw are roughly close to the same age so it’d be hard to argue which of the two is more at the career peak than the other. Personally, I don’t find it likely that this fight will ever coalesce into the real thing but the freak fight fan in me wants to see it. And there you have it a *CONFIRMED* open challenge anyway.